Come Little Children
by three-tailed-fox
Summary: A team of the world's top detectives must solve the case of kidnappings! Who is doing it? Why are they doing it? And why do the kidnapped return, only to disappear again days later? Magical Victorian Era AU
1. Prologue

_SO this has been (somewhat) rewritten with added detail and side stuff~ Hetalia is not mine but the scenario in this fic is mine._

0o0o0o0

That night was pleasantly chilly in British countryside; enough that one would only need a light sweater to stay warm.

A large figure glided over wrecked farmland towards a town. Wait; no, it's five figures crowded together.

Young Arthur yawned as he sat on a woman's lap, he began to doze to the lullaby she sang. His four cousins sat on either side of the woman and held onto each other so they would not fall off the large broomstick they rode.

The woman kept singing as she slowly rocked Arthur with one arm. Her blonde hair was wrapped into a loose bun. On the left side of her head was a braid that curled around the bun and ended in swirls. Her green dress looked like it popped out of a storybook.

Arthur looked around at the – finally – clear sky. There was no moon, but there were more stars than he could imagine! Is that a _real_ galaxy!? Amazed, he reached out to grab it.

The woman chuckled and gently pulled his arm down. "Now, now, we don't want any of you falling off." she chided lightly with her melodic voice. "We need to pick up one last child. He is new to all of this so play nice, alright boys?"

The five boys mumbled sleepily in agreement.

"Hold on~!" The woman cooed playfully and slowly lowered the broom into a neighborhood. After flying at an angle she found the house she was looking for and stopped directly above the roof; contemplating which window she is supposed to use. She decided to check the windows at the front of the house.

She lowered the broomstick further and hushed the boys. The streetlight in front of the home conveniently turned off and hid the riders.

She hovered in front of one window and peeked inside. There was a large bed on the opposite wall. This can't be it. She's looking for something smaller than that. She then checked the second window and peeked in. This room has its lamp lit dimly, like a nightlight. Up against another wall stood a three-walled crib. Laying in it was her newest passenger.

There he is.

The mystery woman began to sing a different song.

_Come little children_

_I'll take the away_

_Into a land of enchantment_

The window in front of them silently flew open and the blue curtains inside swished slowly, as if a breeze flew in.

The child – nothing more than a toddler – crawled out of his small crib and waddled over to the window, dragging his blanket behind him.

_Come little children_

_The time's come to play_

_Here in my garden of shadows_

The woman stopped singing and smiled gently at the little boy. "Hello Peter. My name is Alice. Would you like to come with us and have some fun?"

The small boy gripped his blanket close to himself, unsure. He didn't notice, but Alice saw that the water in the flower vase on the bedside table began to overflow and spill out; the boy's fear was causing his magic to affect his surroundings.

That's not good. Not good at all.

_'I was wondering why the report said this town rained every day.'_ Alice thought. _'I need to take him before there's another flood.'_

Alice smiled and held out a hand. "There is no need to be afraid. Where we will go is a place where you will be safe and have fun. Your momma and papa will be fine. You won't be gone for too long."

After a moment the toddler clambered up the windowsill and Alice leaned over slightly, wrapping her arm around the boy and pulled him close. "Arthur dear?"

"Hm?" Arthur rubbed his eyes.

"Will you please hold Peter?"

"Okay." Arthur pulled the toddler into a firm hug and Peter snuggled against him.

Alice then waved her hand and her magic shut the windows softly and locked them in place.

The broom silently rose above the houses. The streetlight below lit up again.

They sailed above the neighborhood and above the nearby forest, barely brushing the tips of the tallest trees; some of which were beginning to change color. The air steadily grew colder as they flew even higher.

They were heading towards a portal.

The younger boys stared in wonder at the giant glowing blue ring that hovered in the air. As they got closer, they saw a beautiful and majestic city inside of it. It seemed to be nighttime there too.

"Are we going there?" the twins sitting on the front of the broom said simultaneously.

"Yes." Alice replied.

They flew through the ring and the warm breeze on the other side cast a spell on the boys. Without knowing, they all fell asleep.

Alice stayed awake, having been used to this spell for years now. She was thankful that her magic would never let the boys fall off when something like this happened. This was a necessary precaution though; if an outsider without a guide trespassed into the ring, the spell would put them to sleep and they will be taken back to where they came; with their memory sealed and the ring moved elsewhere.

The jingling of tiny little bells coming closer excited her. Another guide was arriving.

She glanced over her shoulder to see a flying silver sleigh pulled by two reindeer enter the realm from another portal. Large chunks of snow trailed in behind through the portal before being melted away by the warm air.

"Hello, Alik. How is your night?" She called out.

The man pulled up next to her, readjusting the strap of his helmet. "Other than having no warning that my portal will end up in the air and giving me a shock, I'm doing fine, Alice. I had to leave a little earlier tonight. Missouri's schedule would not let her come, so Junius and I volunteered to pick up her children." He gestured to his extra seven passengers. He already had enough children to carry before volunteering, so the seats were crowded this time. Some of the children had been sitting on the floor with pillows to cushion them.

"That's so very kind of you, considering what a grouch you usually are."

"Oh, hush." He snapped.

Alice laughed as the two directed their transports to the front of the palace in the middle of a forest. The palace itself was a nice shade of off-white with a tint of blue and its rooftop shingles were a deep ocean blue. Due to the fact that it was nighttime now they looked more of a midnight blue. The landing area was actually made of marble that was smoothed down and enchanted so sleighs and chariots wouldn't have such a harsh landing as they would on gravel.

As the guides landed their vehicles, all the children simultaneously awakened. They began to chatter as they became fully awake and they woke up those who were still drowsy.

"Play nice, children!" Alik said as the children in his sleigh clambered off. "Alfred! Stop swinging Ivan and Matthew around!" He chastised a boy who was spinning and swinging two boys around in the air as if they weighed nothing. He was only holding Ivan's hands while Matthew was clinging onto said boy's waist. They were squealing with delight.

"I'll take Peter on a tour." Alice said as her boys got off the broomstick. "Have fun, boys, and don't get into trouble! Arthur! Remember, your transformation class is today!" She took Peter from Arthur and shooed the boys over to the palace entrance with her broom. She carried Peter and her broomstick and walked out of the landing area just as a large chariot came into sight. "Peter. Let's go to the swimming pool after the tour. You can practice controlling water there!"

Back at Peter's home, his father ran out in a panic, sleeping clothes and cap, to find the nearest police station and his mother was searching the house frantically and close to tears.

She didn't notice the glitter on the windowsill.

~0~0~0~0~


	2. Meeting Matthew

_SO this has been (somewhat) rewritten with added detail and side stuff~_

~0~0~0~0~

_They were flying in the sky as usual; heading over to the palace for the weekend when out of nowhere, something hit Alice from behind and went straight through her body. Into her back and out through her chest. The boys heard her ribs shatter._

_Surprised and dazed, Alice lost her balance and fell off the broom. Because of that, the broom itself disappeared and the boys fell after her._

_The branches around them snapped with ear-splitting cracks as they fell and the younger boys were screaming. The eldest managed to grab Arthur and slow their fall by grabbing the larger branches. The others were lucky to fall against branches that were flexible and still covered in leaves. The leaves and bushes on the ground cushioned their fall somewhat._

The eldest, along with Arthur, landed with a loud thud.

"_Ugh… Is everyone all right?" The eldest boy, Adam, called out as he pulled Arthur up._

"_I think I broke my arm and leg!" The second eldest yelled back._

"_We landed on our feet wrong!" The twins yelped._

"_They'll heal! Arthur. You all right? Arthur!"_

_Arthur was staring at the figure lying against a large tree._

"_Gran…?"_

"_Granny!" The second eldest shouted as he and the other boys crowded around Alice._

"_What happened?"_

"_Grandma Alice! Say something!"_

_Alice shakily propped herself up against the large tree and pressed her hand on her upper ribs. She pulled her hand back to see it completely covered in dark blood. "…Oh… oh dear." Her voice quivered and she gasped. "… A… Adam..."_

"_Grandma!" The redhead teen grabbed her hand. "C'mon! You can use magic! You can heal!" _

"_S… sorry boys… I can't… he… heal this." She said in between gasps. "It's been so l-long since I needed a stro-ong healin' spell; I have …forgotten… what the words were." She gasped again, slightly coughing from the lack of air she could get. "Adam. Take care of the boys." She squeezed Adam's hand. "Make sure …Kai doesn't feed his little dragon licorice again…"_

"_I will! I'll make sure he doesn't!" Adam promised._

_The strawberry-blonde boy hugged his grandmother's free arm. "I won't do it again!" He nearly wailed. The panic finally hit the boys as they realized that she was dying, and fast._

"_M-m-m…" her voice became faint and shaky. "Make s-sure the twins and Peter behave-." She coughed loudly and blood trailed from her mouth. "Artie…" She beckoned the preteen closer._

"_Yes Gran?" Arthur's eyes burned, but he wasn't about to let her see his tears._

"_Roses are your friend… Violets are your foe…Embrace... who you are... and p-put on a show."_

"_What're you saying Gran?" Arthur gripped her bloody hand; confused from the little poem and horrified at her gaping wound._

_She sighed with a small knowing smile but did not answer his question. "Can I have … one last group –cough- hug?"_

_The boys gently embraced her and she embraced them back, holding them close while she sang slowly with her fading voice._

Hush now dear children

It must be this way

To weary of life and deception

_Their favorite song was enough to break the younger four boys' brave facades and they cried. The burn in their throats was too much. Adam bit his lip, determined to stay strong._

Rest now my children

_She stroked Arthur's head. Her gentle fingers combed away the sticks and leaves caught in his hair._

For soon we'll away

_Her voice became softer, slower._

Into the calm…

…And the… quiet…

~0~0~0~0~

Arthur Kirkland was a serious man. He had friends (though they were few due to his tendency to disagree with others) and was out finding love. One could say that he was very rich, although young he managed to gain a successful career and inherit his grandparent's house; but it was due to his other family members' deaths.

Still, he's rich. He's surprised that the ladies haven't been throwing themselves at him. Maybe he's just too busy with his career...

**HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOONNNNNK!**

The sudden loud foghorn jolted Arthur out of his daze. Out of reflex, he jumped back and crashed into the other reception parties along the docks. This caused him to knock down half of the group.

"WAUGH!"

"Hey! Watch it!"

"It's just a ship's horn, you arse!"

"Get off!"

Arthur ignored them and righted himself. "Oh, I am very sorry miss, are you hurt?" He helped up a woman he had accidentally knocked over, who shook her head.

"Oh, no. It's alright. I jumped too! Silly me." She said with a faint accent as she dusted off her dress. "I did not expect it to be so loud." She paused a moment. "But now I am wondering: what were you thinking about so intensely that the horn surprised you?"

She looked at him intently and Arthur fidgeted. "I was thinking about… my grandmother's death."

"Oh, I'm so sorry." The young woman paused, noticing how gloomy Arthur became. "Um…Who are you waiting for? I have a nephew who's supposed to visit within the next two weeks or so."

Arthur was thankful for the subject change. "I have a younger cousin coming from the Americas. He will be staying with me until he is of age. Speaking of which…"

This ship in front of him was the right ship; it even arrived on time, but the passengers were still aboard.

He pulled out his pocket watch to glance at the time.

"Oh. My nephew isn't on this ship. He would be on deck by now annoying the passengers and yelling his head off. It was nice to meet you. Good day." She hurried off.

"Have a nice day!"

He looked back at his watch. "The passengers should have disembarked by now." He muttered as he put the watch back in his coat pocket. The passengers leaning on the ship railings looked confused as well.

Suddenly, a loud commotion broke out on the deck, and the passengers moved away from the noise and up against the rails and slammed into those who were already there.

A blonde teenage boy ran right out of the crowd and to the bow of the ship; followed by a large white bear.

Arthur's eyes widened. He glanced at the people around him out of the corner of his eyes and looked back up at the deck. The boy had run to the very front of the ship, climbed the railing, and was now balancing dangerously on the other side, yelling something unintelligible from where Arthur stood. The bear turned around to face and growl at the few ship officers that tried to follow the boy.

The officers hung back, not wanting to spook the boy into letting go.

_No one can see it_, Arthur thought.

"Helen?"

A green light leaped from his woven watch chain and landed on his shoulder. The light faded and revealed a blonde fairy with indigo eyes and translucent dragonfly-like wings; she was wearing a dress made of bluebell flowers.

"Yes, Arthur?" The fairy answered his call.

"Will you please make sure the young man doesn't fall and get him to safety? My magic will only bring unwanted attention."

"Understood. I will do my best!"

The fairy flew away gracefully and up close to the boy. The teen noticed her and nearly fell from surprise, but he kept a firm grip on the rail.

The fairy curtsied and smiled at the teen. "Hello. I am Helen. What is your name, might I ask?"

"M-Matthew." The boy replied.

"It is nice to meet you Matthew. Might I ask what you were chanting just a second ago?" She slowly hovered closer to him. Looking at him closely, she could see the dark circles under his eyes and his arms were shaking. He looked fairly clean but it was obvious that he hadn't been sleeping well for at least a few days, if at all.

The teen hesitated. "I just want to leave. I didn't want to come here."

"Where are your parents?" Helen asked. _Maybe I can have them help convince him to safety_, she thought.

Matthew stiffened and held his breath.

"D... mur... n-not here."

Helen saw his eyes become glassy.

_Oh. He wants to join his parents. _She thought.

"Do you have friends?" She asked as she sat on the rail next to his hand and embraced it.

"I do, but they're far away right now." He replied.

"Then keep living so you can see them again. They would be devastated to hear the news if you killed yourself."

"That's-." He cut himself off. _I only want to be taken. I was calling _him _to get me._

"Please." The fairy begged. "There's a lonely cousin down there who wants to meet you; your last name is Williams, yes?"

"It is. What is his name?" Matthew asked.

"Arthur Kirkland!" Helen chirped. "He's a bit stuffy but he's really crazy and funny when his best friend comes over to bother him! I could watch the two for hours and never be bored! Just don't eat his cooking! Except his tea and biscuits; those ones are delicious. Oh, you should see him when he's _drunk_!"

Matthew smiled a little. "We wrote some letters to each other. I would like to meet him for a while." _I'll take refuge once _he _comes for me tonight. _"Kumajiro, come back." He called to the polar bear, which faded into a soft light and disappeared into the teen's body.

Matthew looked up at the officers. "I-I... I've changed my mind." He said as he purposely made his voice shaky.

0o0o0o0

Arthur had stayed where he was and watched the two talk.

He had an eerie feeling; as if someone with ill intent was targeting the boy. He glanced around the crowd, then to the docks, then the streets, then tho the buildings- there's someone there. That person is definitely facing the ship with a long stick in their hand. Arthur's instincts were yelling "Danger!"

Helen needs to calm the boy fast or something terrible might happen.

Minutes passed like hours, but eventually the teen called back his bear, which vanished, and he let the officers drag him back aboard the ship.

The crowds on both the deck and the dock sighed in relief and some even applauded, unaware of the fairy's intervention.

Arthur glanced back at the person on the roof but they had disappeared.

Finally, the passengers were allowed to leave the ship. A few minutes later, the teen walked onto the dock with his luggage and Helen bouncing on his shoulder. Two men in white followed right behind them.

"It's him~! It's him~!" She squealed and waved at Arthur. He waved in return and the teen walked up to him. "It's Matthew~!" Helen sang.

"Hello, Matthew. My name is Arthur Kirkland. It is a great pleasure that you will be staying in my home." He held out his hand.

Instead of shaking the aforementioned hand, Matthew instead pulled out part of a beaded necklace from the collar of his shirt. He stared at Arthur with a neutral expression and half-closed eyes.

"He wants to see where you keep me housed first." Helen said. "He just wants to make sure that you are who you say you are. He's become fairly cautious, you see."

"Of course." Arthur pulled out his pocket watch again and pointed at its chain; a long and complicated weave with three colors and a few small beads woven in shaped like flowers.

Matthew nodded and shook Arthur's hand.

_I didn't need to see it, but this is an act. I have already known him for a long time. _Matthew thought.

"Sir," One of the men in white said. "Now that you have confirmed yourself to be his new guardian, I recommend that you send the boy to the nearest asylum house. His behavior on the ship was disturbing to the public."

"Oh?" said Arthur. "And what has he done that has been too disturbing for the public?"

The man brought out a piece of paper. Apparently he made a list. "He vanished at random moments, he hallucinated and chased an invisible animal named 'Kumajiro' multiple times, he wouldn't stop humming a lullaby. His gloomy appearance bothered the other passengers."

Arthur shook his head. "Of course he would be 'gloomy'. After all, a lowlife murdered his parents last week. It would be strange if he looked cheerful after such an event. As proof, he pulled a suicide attempt on the bow of the ship; a considerable percent of suicides take place because a loved one had died recently. As for 'chasing an invisible animal'…" he held out his hand and Helen jumped onto it. "What is this girl in my hand wearing?"

The doctors laughed. "What girl? Your hand is empty!" One of them said.

"Maybe you can't see her, but your companion does."

"Urk."

"Helen, will you please take off the man's glasses?"

"AUGH! Please don't!" The doctor with glasses said and backed away.

"Then please tell me what she's wearing."

"Alright! Alright! She's wearing a blue dress! Just don't let her touch me!"

The first doctor stared at his companion like he sprouted another head.

"I rest my case. He doesn't need to go to an asylum, he only needs time with family." Arthur picked up one of Matthew's large suitcases "Come Matthew, let's go home."

Matthew nodded and picked up the other suitcase.

They left the docks, and as Matthew stared at all the different buildings, statues, and items in the shop windows, Arthur hailed down a small buggy-taxi. Matthew felt the urge to gawk at the sweets he saw in one shop and press himself against the glass, but he quelled it. First impressions come first. Especially wherever there were lots of people. In his hometown, he didn't need to worry too much about it unless someone new came.

"To Willow Circle please." Arthur directed the driver as he and Matthew sat down on the rear seats and set the luggage at their feet.

On their way through the stone streets, Arthur remembered something. "Oh, silly me. Matthew, the letter I received about your coming had your name and our relation as cousins, but not your age. How old are you?"

Matthew stared at him for a minute before replying, "Sixteen."

"That's good to know. I had to guess your age when I set up your room. It seems I made the right choice of decoration." Inwardly, he was cheering and throwing confetti and flowers.

A few minutes of silence pass, and Arthur was trying to come up with other ideas for conversation to get Matthew to talk to him, when he heard the boy hum.

The slow song he hummed seemed very familiar, so familiar, that Arthur was surprised that he cannot remember where he learned it from or what the lyrics were. "Matthew?"

The boy stopped humming at looked at Arthur.

"Um… where did you learn that song? I think I recognize it."

"Really?" the boy murmured, "You shouldn't be able to know it." _Crap. He's beginning to remember. It's too early. _

"Oi." The driver called. "We've arrived at Willow Circle. Care to tell me which house to drive up to?"

"Oh, sorry. It is the red brick house near the back, the one with the black gate in front. Thank you."

The driver pulled the buggy up to the gate. Arthur paid the driver and the cousins got off.

"Well, I hope you will like it here, Matthew." Arthur said as he unlocked and opened the gate. "Just before we go inside, I have to warn you; I am a detective by occupation and am currently handling a difficult case."

"I understand. I won't get in your way."

"Oh no, that's not the point. You can help anytime you feel like you have an idea that can help the case. Different views and perceptions have proven to solve cases faster and more often than a closed mind. The point is that there are other detectives living here temporarily, and the house can be a little loud at times." The two walked down the walkway.

"It's taking more than one detective to solve this case?"

"Yes, and they're some of the best in the world. However, many do not speak English as a first language, so some have hired translators. And because of the occasional mistranslation, there are many fights. Some have taken residence elsewhere; I can't house all of them."

"Oh."

"It can be hellish, but tonight we will have a small meeting." Arthur took out the house key from his pants pocket and unlocked the door. He opened the door, picked up both of Matthew's suitcases, and gestured for him to go inside. "After you."

Matthew pushed open the door wider, and looked at the dark yet decorated hallway and staircase. When Arthur looked in, he sighed. "I forgot; it's Saturday, they went drinking last night. Go on in, I'll open the curtains when I get in there."

"Kuma…" Matthew whispered. The necklace under his shirt glowed a soft pale blue; a white light quickly flowed out of it and onto the floor. The light became solid and took the shape of a polar bear cub. "Hey," Matthew cooed, visibly relaxed and picked up the cub. "This is our new home. Let's open some curtains and explore a bit."

"Okay." The cub replied. "I hope we get to eat soon."

"No need to worry, mon cher! I made crepes!" An accented masculine voice called from down the hallway.

"Oh, goody." The cub said.

Wide-eyed, Arthur just realized that he had forgotten to lock the third-story windows when he left the house.

~0~0~0~0~

Remember to make sure you've locked all the doors and windows or else a funny and sexy Frenchman will sneak in.


	3. Frogs and Crepes

_SO this has been (somewhat) rewritten with added detail and side stuff~ If you haven't reread the story please do so; you'll thank me._

~0~0~0~0~

Arthur immediately dropped the suitcases and stomped down the hallway, leaving Matthew in the entry-room.

Francis did not just…!

He stormed into the kitchen and found the French culprit. He ran up to Francis and began to strangle him with the Frenchman's neckerchief.

"What the hell are you doing here, Frog? How did you get in?" Arthur yelled at Francis.

"Third floor. I like the new wardrobe you bought." Francis replied, seemingly unaffected by the strangling.

"You came in through my _bedroom_!? Explain yourself!" Arthur just remembered that he might have left a certain drawer open full of embarrassing items and paused. "You didn't _see_ anything, did you?"

Francis ignored the last question. "I only wanted to welcome your younger cousin~! You've been the youngest until now so I don't see why I should not!"

"That's because he's _my _cousin!"

"Would you like some crepes?" Francis held out a platter full of beautifully decorated crepes.

"No! I'm not eating that!" Arthur shouted.

"We both know that my cooking is better~ Come on! Have some!" Francis wrapped an arm around Arthur's midsection.

"No! Unhand me!" _No, this isn't proper! The handsome lech is hugging me- NO! He's not handsome! He's just a stupid Frenchman with a sexy voice- AUGH!_

"Admit my cooking is better!" His hand was trailing down Arthur's back.

"Never!"

**CRASH!**

There was a loud metal crash right outside the kitchen's second door, which led outside. The two stopped and looked at said door.

There was a small pause of silence and then something scratched the door.

The men released each other and Arthur walked toward the door. _It could be the neighbor's raccoon or a stray dog. _Arthur thought as he grabbed the oven's poker tool; just in case the animal attacked or tried sneak inside. _The noise might have scared it off._

There was no window on the door, so Arthur knelt down, leaned close to the door, and listened for any other sounds.

The animal kept scratching on the door.

"Ow… ow… Kumakichi. Warn me next time!" Arthur heard Matthew moan from the other side of the door.

Arthur stood, opened the door a crack, and peeked outside. Matthew's bear sat on the stone steps and stared right at him. Matthew was stumbling on the grass to pick up the bear.

Arthur opened the door all the way. "Matthew? What are you doing outside?"

The boy jumped. "M-my bear was curious about the house and decided to explore. I chased him upstairs to bring him back down," he explained, "but a huge man entered the hallway and chased us into a room!"

"Was his hair slicked back?" Arthur asked.

"Yes! I was looking for a place to hide because he started to shout and pound on the door! I found a secret passage and fell through it!" The teen pointed at a spot next to the steps. "I fell out of it through here."

_Ludwig tended to accidentally scare those smaller than hi- a secret passage?_ This was news to Arthur; he had lived in this house for years and knew every corner of the place.

Apparently this escaped his eye.

He walked down the steps and knelt in front of the spot Matthew pointed at. Thanks to the slightly overgrown grass, a chunk of it was trapped underneath what looked to be a small door that blended in with the wall of the house. No wonder he never saw it before.

With some effort, he pulled the flap open and peered inside. The passage was a steep slope large enough for a young adult to squeeze in, and the floor of it was metal. He studied the flap and found squares of what he assumed to be magnets on the inside. There was also a dent near the center.

"Did you fall head-first?"

"Um, yes…"

He must have ht his head.

Arthur stood and helped Matthew sit down. "There's a chance that you hit your head a little too hard." He muttered as he examined the boy's head. "There aren't any bumps… are you nauseous?"

"No."

"Dizzy?"

"No."

"Do you have a headache?"

"No."

"Is the back of your head sore from the impact?"

"...Yes."

"You're fine, then. Let us go back inside. Ignore the frog that's in the room." Arthur helped Matthew to his feet. Kumajiro stayed by Matthew as close as he could without tripping the teen.

"I like frogs-."

"Not that kind."

"It's a Frenchman, right?" Matthew deadpanned.

"Y-yes." Arthur stumbled as he led the teen inside. _Of course, Matthew came from a place where both English and French cultures were present._

"… Matthew, this is Frog. He is nothing of interest. Here is the kitchen. We dine in here at that table in the corner for breakfast and lunch, which are at seven in the morning and noon. Supper is at six in the evening. For that-."

"How mean of you, Cher." Francis complained, feigning a hurt-filled pout.

"Hello Francis!" Matthew waved.

There was a moment of silence as Arthur stared at Matthew as Francis offered the teen a crepe and Matthew accepted with a small 'yes, please' and took one of the saucers off the platter.

"Would you like one, Cousin?" Matthew gestured to the other crepes.

"I introduced myself while you talked. I hope you do not mind, Cher." Francis said smoothly as he held out the platter to Arthur, who glared and nearly growled. "Won't you please take one? Surely you are hungry from skipping breakfast."

"I must decli-." Arthur began, but a loud growl of his stomach said otherwise.

There was a short awkward silence and Arthur picked up a crepe off the platter.

"W-we-well, since you made them, I believe there's no other choice. Let me show Matthew to the dining room while we eat these. This way." He opened a third doorway with double doors and led Matthew into the mute-red dining room.

He glanced back at Francis, who stayed in the kitchen. "Is there a problem?"

Francis smiled back. "I plan to make lunch for the other guests then leave; I have to leave for work in an hour.

"I see. I hope you don't poison your customers."

"I love you too~. Au revoir, Arthur, Matthew!"

"Goodbye." Matthew said.

Francis closed the doors behind the two. Arthur quietly grumbled about what a pervert Francis is and Matthew nearly failed to hold in a laugh.

"You may sit wherever you like, since this is a special occasion." Arthur gestured to the long dark-wooded table and sat at the head. Matthew sat on the seat at the corner of the table and both began to eat their crepes.

They made small talk about the weather and such while they ate. Eventually the conversation led to talking about what each others' parents were like. Arthur's parents both worked in factories so he stayed at his grandmother's; who, he added, owned many sheep and taught him magic. Matthew's parents had sold firewood and different kinds of syrup at the town's market. It was a little sad for both of them but there was a pleasant atmosphere from remembering good memories.

"… and my mother's name was Alice." Matthew continued. "She told me that she was named after our grandmother."

"That is very true, Matthew." Arthur confirmed as he finished his crepe.

When Matthew finished as well, the two went back into the kitchen to put the dishes neatly in a sink that was filled with soapy water.

"Mr. Kirkland, who is this young man?" a loud, deep voice boomed that surprised Arthur enough to jump and scared Matthew enough to reach for the pots and pans that hung on a rack above one of the counters.

"Oh, good afternoon, Mr. Beilschmidt." Arthur turned to the scowling man and pointed toward a small cabinet at the top of the large shelf. The taller man nodded gratefully, walked to the shelf, and pulled out two small bottles from the cabinet. "This is my younger cousin, Matthew." Arthur then gestured to Matthew, who was as still and tense as a rabbit. "Matthew, this is Mr. Ludwig Beilschmidt. He is the detective from Germany."

Mr. Beilschmidt put down the bottles and held out a hand to Matthew. "It is a pleasure to meet you." He said in a (slightly) quieter tone. "I apologize for scaring you earlier. I had thought you were someone else."

Matthew relaxed a little and shook his hand.

"Let me show you around the house and introduce you to the other residents." Arthur led Matthew out of the kitchen and into one of the hallways.

"What did he pull out of the cabinet?" Matthew asked as soon as the two were out of earshot from Ludwig

"It was medicine for hangovers. We dared him to chug ten pints of beer."

0o0o0o0

As Arthur showed Matthew the first floor (dining, tea room, library, and a few doors that led to some guest rooms), a young man of 20 years softly trotted down the stairs from the guest bedrooms and down the hall.

He began to list all the things he needed to do. Today, he was going to examine the files of the victims other than the financial trouble their families had - everyone seemed to be having this problem these days. He needed to see if there was a pattern of age groups. He needed to copy the names of the cities of all 573 abduction sites onto a separate piece of paper so that Mr. Honda could mark the sites on the map. He also needed to write down numbers for multiple disappearances in the same city. Then there's the sorting and graphing and more copying and-

"Mr. Lorinaitis!" Toris looked up to see Arthur and a teenager - presumably the cousin he raved about for the past two weeks - leaving the piano room.

"Oh, good afternoon, Mr. Kirkland." He replied.

"Mr. Lorinaitis, this is Matthew Williams, my cousin from Canada. Matthew, this is Toris Lorinaitis, the detective from Lithuania."

As the two shook hands with a small "How do you do", Toris thought that name sounded familiar. There was also that small yet strange smile Matthew has-

"I am showing him the house. Would you like to come with us?" Arthur asked.

"Oh, no, I can't. I need to organize the files with the dates of the cases. Thank you for the invitation." Toris replied.

"Alright then. We will see you at dinner, Mr. Lorinaitis." Arthur said as he led Matthew down the hall and up the stairs.

When the cousins left to go upstairs, Toris continued down the hall and into the shared study. He found the box full of dividers and files of the cases and searched through the files for a similar name that he might have seen before.

_Sanders..._

_Solomon…_

_Thompson…_

_Trane…_

_Turner…_

_Umali…_

_Washington…_

_Williams-_

Here it is. Toris pulled out the 'Williams' file out and observed the victim's profile:

_Williams, Matthew. Male, Blonde hair, and violet eyes._

_Disappearances began in 3887, at the age of five._

_The average amount of days he is missing is between three and six days at a time._

_The frequency is at least twice a month._

_Update: As of July 1st, 3898, he is sixteen years old._

No wonder Matthew had that smile. He knows what case they're trying to solve.

Toris made note of the present tense in the file about the frequency; as he put it back in its appropriate spot when he saw another familiar name in the files.

_Honda, Kiku_

And another,

_Dulmes, Belle_

And another, though slightly different.

_Kirkland, Peter_

One after another, Toris found files of nearly all of the detectives living under this roof; even one with his name on it.

He doesn't remember being kidnapped from his home at all. Why would he? He was never kidnapped! "Why am I in here?"

0o0o0o0

Please tell me what you think of the new details. I'd love to hear some feedback~


	4. The Rose Phantom

_SO this has been (somewhat) rewritten with added detail and side stuff~ If you haven't reread the story please do so; you'll thank me._

_I'll give clues to those who can guess the songs and/or which character is which; not the obvious ones such as Ludwig and Arthur, but those who you might not know such as- *bricked*_

0o0o0o0

After dinner and Matthew went to bed – oh the joys of traveling by ship shortly after the three famous and tragic wrecks – the detectives held their small nightly meeting to discuss the case.

Since he is the host, Arthur sat at the head of the table and the other seven detectives sat at the other seats.

"Detective Ouren and I suspect that the kidnapper uses transportation magic since all the other physical theories have been ruled out. Dozens of children from cities hundreds of kilometers apart vanish right from their bedrooms in one night. Some children were in rooms with tight security and would have been unable to undo the locks without damaging them. Are there any other theories as to how the kidnapper would have been able to breach tight security?"

"Hypnotism could be possibirity." Detective Honda started. "The kidnappa might know what kind of security the chird would be surrounded by and eizer undo the security themserves or hypnotize the chird to do it foh them."

"There might be more than one kidnapper." Ludwig said and stood straight. "There is a pattern in the evidence left behind at the scene of the crimes." He picked up a small stack of papers and read off the list.

"For example: in the northern countries past the Baltic sea, the evidence were small bells that the victims never owned. In the Americas, feathers ranging from monochrome to brightly-colored were found. In the Far East, evidence was large white and orange fish scales. In Africa, it was strands of lion hair. With that, it is very likely that there are multiple people behind this." Ludwig concluded as he sat down. "In the cases where violet flower petals were present, the child never returned."

"… _was so sad when he heard the news."_

Toris blinked. What was that?

"… _Even the comfort of others wasn't enough. His guilt is still too great."_

Toris put a hand to his head casually to give the impression that he was thinking; which he was, but he was becoming dizzy from the words flashing through his head.

"… _went missing. … and… missed him a lot. His sisters didn't know what happened. They didn't know to whom the blood came from."_

"It's as if the kidnappers are phantoms." Arthur stated, snapping Toris' attention away from the voices. "They appear, take the children, and disappear with such stealth. The only evidence that they exist and it is not some other creature is the items left behind. They must be a clue as to what the kidnappers' vehicles were; though I doubt that using enchanted lions would be safe. Even those have a temper. Enchanted fish, however, is plausible."

"The bells would suggest being from reigns since they are small enough." Detective Lars Dulmes said in Dutch.

Miss Belle translated what he said. "Is there evidence that there are even more kidnappers?" she asked.

"Yes." Ludwig confirmed. "According to the history, glitter used to be found years ago in these isles. Ten years ago, the glitter was replaced with chips of wood and paint. Five years ago, rose petals replaced the wood and paint. This might suggest that kidnappers have died and been replaced by others."

"This rose and gritter seem more rike signature than mode of transport." Kiku said. "The wood and paint may have been from a vehicre."

Ludwig continued. "In Eastern Europe, frost was left behind; but it is difficult to tell which frost was natural, and which is made by this specific kidnapper during the winter without a person proficient in magic to examine it."

"_...Nighttime sharpens..."_

A shiver immediately raced down Toris' spine and he instinctively glanced at the windows and door at the end of the room that led to the front yard.

"_...Heightens each sensation..."_

Toris swore that he can hear someone outside.

"… and the feathers found in North America could relate to Thunderbirds." Arthur said. "If I had a feather from the scene, I can track it down to where it came from and even who handled it. Unfortunately neither the American nor Canadian government will allow the feathers to leave the countries. Such feathers have become national treasures."

Toris quickly became uneasy. "T-there is a matter I want to call to attention." Toris stood; folders in hand. "I want to know if all the files we have of the cases are authentic, since I have never seen them before I came here."

"They are, Mr. Lorinaitis." Arthur replied.

_Then this isn't a prank._ Toris took a deep breath. "I have found filed cases with our names on them; nearly all of us, actually." He set the files down on the table for everyone to see. "It seems that we had concentrated too much on the kidnappers and the victims' mental and financial state than to look at the victims' names. The only ones not on the list are-."

"_Darkness stirs..."_

The light bulbs suddenly turned off and their slight buzzing went silent, and shrouded everyone in darkness.

A gale tore open the windows and sent papers flying everywhere.

Arthur felt a sharp pain in his chest as his barrier around the house had been breached near this room.

"Someone is here!" he shouted, but was drowned out by the surprised yells and screams and flying paper. For some reason he felt something soft brush against his face and hands.

"_...And wakes imagination."_

The gale calmed and the light of the moon dimly illuminated the meeting room.

Whatever had entered the barrier is now gone.

But another jab of pain struck Arthur.

The intruder is in Matthew's room!

Just as the others started to calm down in the darkness, Arthur raced out of the room, down the hall, up the stairs, down another hall, up another set of stairs, and knocked – scratch that, **pounded **on Matthew's bedroom door.

"Matthew! Matthew! Are you alright? Open the door!"

There was no response, but he could hear heavy footsteps that didn't belong to a teenager.

"Matthew!" Arthur turned the doorknob.

Unlocked.

Good.

He slammed the door open.

… In time to see a cloaked man stepping toward the open window.

"You there!" Arthur shouted.

The man turned, his cloak swished and revealed Matthew wearing his pajamas and sleeping in the man's arms.

The man carried Matthew out the window and onto a floating carriage. He then climbed onto the carriage's driving seat.

Arthur broke out of his shock. He never thought that one of the kidnappers would come _here_! Thinking fast, Arthur ran to the window to throw an undetectable tracking spell at him. "_Rian an fear se-!_"

The kidnapper threw one end of a long and thick rope at Arthur and it wrapped around his arm tightly.

_Oh, so he wants to take me with him._ "Give him back, you bastard!" Arthur yanked on the rope and smirked when the kidnapper stumbled and nearly fell off the carriage.

While the kidnapper was trying to right himself, Arthur took in all the attributes the mystery man had; black top hat, a white mask that covered half of his face, a black tuxedo with a white dress shirt underneath, a black cape with velvet red on the inside, and black shoes. He looked back up at the kidnapper's face to memorize it, but he only saw a blur.

_The man is using glamour to keep people from seeing his true face! _Arthur figured.

"You should be asleep by now~." The kidnapper smirked and pulled on the rope even harder, forcing Arthur to step on and hold onto the windowsill while his captive arm stretched out and upward.

"I like defiance~."

"Go fuck a hors-!"

"Kirkland!" A voice appeared behind Arthur.

"Beilschmidt! Pull me back!" Arthur yelled. His voice sounded as if he was on the verge of panic.

Ludwig's large arm reached out and grabbed onto the rope. However, as soon as he touched the rope he fell to the floor; unconscious.

A sleeping spell!

"You slimy little- wah!"

The kidnapper yanked the rope again and Arthur was pulled out of the house. He sailed through the backyard into the garden. His weight was threatening to tear off his arm and he grabbed the rope with the other hand just as he swung backwards.

Arthur quickly tapped his hand on his pocket-watch and grabbed the rope again. "Helen! Stay with the others and tell them wherever I am! Honda should be able to see you and Ouren should- dagh!" A bolt of energy went through the rope and shocked him.

"Right away!" Helen bolted out of her home and into the rose bushes; the thorns should discourage him from going after her.

The kidnapper tied his end of the rope to one of the carriage's sturdy lanterns, righted himself on the driver's seat, whipped the floating carriage's horse with the reigns and they flew off with Arthur hanging below; high above the city.

_Matthew must be inside!_ Arthur began to climb up the rope.

One arm-length, two, three...

He paused momentarily to wrap his left leg around the rope he already climbed; if he slipped he wouldn't immediately fall to his death.

He looked back up. The kidnapper hadn't noticed.

Arthur repeated his movements: climb the rope, carefully unwrap the loose part of the rope and re-wrap the rope from a higher point around his leg.

He silently reached the top, looked down, nearly had a heart attack, looked back up, opened the carriage's door, and pulled himself inside.

The carriage gently rocked to and fro as Arthur shut the door behind him. Surely enough, Matthew was sitting on one of the velvet red seats in his pajamas, leaning against the dark-wooded wall as he slept.

Arthur knelt on the seat next to Matthew and shook him. "Matthew. Matthew, wake up. We need to get out of here."

Matthew made no reaction. He simply breathed.

There was a mumble from the other side of the carriage.

Arthur looked around and saw Toris sitting on the opposite seat. The young man looked very drowsy and seemed to be trying to talk to him. Another boy, probably 13 or 14, was slumped against him with a blue hat on his lap and was snoring lightly.

Arthur turned to address the drowsy brunette. "Toris." he said. In this situation fewer syllables were better.

Toris mumbled and his head bobbed and fell against the window with a loud thud.

"Toris, what happened?" Arthur grabbed the others' shoulders and gently sat him upright.

"Can't ...you ...hear it?" He heard Toris mumble. He looked as if he was struggling to keep his eyes open and move his arms and legs.

"Hear what?" Arthur asked.

Toris did not answer. He simply stared at Arthur.

Arthur strained his ears. He could hear the slight whoosh of the wind, the creaking of the carriage as it shifted slightly, Toris' loud breaths, the boy's snoring, and Matthew's calm and nearly silent-...

"_Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor,"_

"The song? Toris, is that what you hear?"

Toris nodded. "Don't listen. Stay... ah...w..." he huffed as he closed his eyes.

"_Grasp it, sense it... tremulous and tender..."_ The voice was suddenly closer.

Arthur's head whirled around and the kidnapper opened the carriage door and stepped in. He quickly put himself in front of his cousin; arms out wide but on his knees due to the low ceiling.

Arthur's breath hitched. _"Fuck. I left my wand in my study. I can't use my magic."_

The two stood off. Now that Arthur was closer he could see the man's striking blue eyes. They were such a rich deep color that Arthur couldn't help but freeze; captivated by the way they seemed to see right through him. Oh god they're sexy...

The kidnapper suddenly knelt onto one knee and his face was just inches away from Arthur's.

Arthur tried to reinforce his confidence and glared at the man, but the kidnapper only smiled at his attempt. Still, Arthur did not lower his arms.

Not even when the kidnapper began to caress his face in a way one would do to a lover and sent shivers down Arthur's spine.

"_Turn your face away from the garish light of day," _the man softly sang. His voice was smooth, deep, and full of an emotion Arthur couldn't place.

Arthur did not notice, but he had lowered his arms ever so slightly. The man's beautiful ocean-blue eyes and captivating voice had ensnared him almost completely.

_I can't let this happen... but this voice... I feel safe... secure... _Arthur's thoughts slowed down. His eyelids lowered and he unconsciously leaned into the man's hand. The man's song was alarmingly calming.

"_Close your eyes,"_ The man sang, and Arthur complied, blissfully unable to object or defy him.

"_Let your spirit start to soar..." _The man continued and brought up another hand to Arthur's forehead and placed a heavy sleeping spell on the young man.

Arthur slumped forward; the man caught him and pulled Arthur up to rest next to Matthew. He caressed Arthur's face again.

"_And live, as you've never lived before..." _He finished, stood, exited the carriage, closed the door, and expertly and gracefully maneuvered back onto the driver's seat; for the carriage was still floating in midair. He then directed the carriage southward and flew right through a green portal. On the other side of the ring was a whole web of lush and green tropical islands; one of them held his next passenger.

0o0o0o0

"Ludwig!" Belle ran down the third floor hall, skirts hiked up and searching for the German. "Ludwig!" She called louder. She saw the open door to Matthew's room and peeked in.

She saw Ludwig unconscious on the floor near the window.

"Ludwig!" She ran and knelt by his side and rolled him onto his back. "Everyone! I found Ludwig!"

The other men ran into Matthew's room. Kiku Honda and Nicholas Ouren helped Belle wake Ludwig, but Lars quickly closed the window and took in the state of the room.

There were rose petals all over the place.

Ludwig grunted and sat up. "Is everyone else alright?"

"What do you mean? Did Mr. Kirkland and Matthew vanish too?" Kiku asked.

"Kirkland, yes. I'm not sure about Matthew; we will search the house before we declare him 'missing'." Ludwig looked at his companions. "Is Lorinaitis searching on the other floors?"

"No." Kiku replied. "I saw the kidnappah take him away. There was nothing I could do."

0o0o0o0

Alik scowled as the cloaked young man arrived at the castle and landed on the drive.

"You're late."

… He's also very pissed.

The young man hopped off the carriage, took off his hat – and revealing blonde hair tied back with a black ribbon, bowed, and stood straight up again. "My deepest apologies, General. The memory charm on Toris is breaking and a little rabbit decided to complicate things. I had to cast a heavy sleeping spell three times to knock him out."

"Has this "rabbit" been here before?"

"Oh, yes. I would never forget those eyebrows~ especially when he caused the 'Ear Incident'."

Silence fell between the two as they remembered the hilarious yet embarrassing fiasco that had happened years ago.

"Take him out first. I will wake the rest."

The young man opened the door and pulled Arthur out of the carriage and carried him bridal style. "Shall I put him in the resting room?"

"You may; but keep a close eye on him. It has been years since he came here last; it may shock him. Better yet, keep him asleep for as long as you can. We must put him back in his home as soon as possible. He is not supposed to have returned yet."

"Yes sir." The young man walked up the steps as Alik broke the sleeping spell on everyone in the carriage. About a minute passed before the passengers began to come out. The first to exit it was a tan teenage girl with two dark pigtails draped in front of her shoulders. She was wearing a blue nightgown made of light cloth made for warm weather.

Alik held out his hand and helped her off. "Welcome back Michelle. The gardeners have planted new flowers in the garden and playroom. Would you like to see them?"

Michelle's face lit up. "Oh, yes! Thank you for telling me." She trotted up the stairs, stopped at the top, and glanced back, as if waiting for someone.

The second person to hop out the carriage was a teen boy who looked very similar to Arthur. "Hello, General!" He quickly said and scampered off.

"Hold it." Alik grabbed the boy's shirt and pulled him back. "What are you hiding under that hat, Peter?"

Peter slowly took off his large blue hat to reveal a small white puppy lying right on top of his head. It looked starved and sick.

"Take it to the infirmary and call Jack. He will know what to do. Moreover, call Yekaterina; we do not want you catching what the dog might have. Now get going." He pushed Peter and the teen put his hat back on and ran right up the stairs. Peter met up with Michelle and the two ran inside.

The third to exit was Matthew, who stumbled out; even with Alik's help.

Alik put his hand on Matthew's forehead and performed a quick memory scan. The boy was practically making himself sick from those sleepless nights. The reason for the lack of sleep was understandable; especially when Alik found out the murderer of the boy's parents was never caught and looked awfully familiar.

"You had a rough trip." Alik said as he placed two fingers on the teen's forehead and chanted a waking spell. "Go to the resting room. I gave you enough energy to get there."

Matthew nodded, suddenly wide-awake. "Thank you." He said, ran up the stairs and followed the cloaked man to the resting room.

It was a very, very large and dark blue room full of colored beds ranging from bright to mute arranged in circles around all the large and decorated pillars; the paintings on the pillars had pictures of the night sky with clouds and stars. The ceiling was decorated with colorful paintings of planets, asteroids, and even more stars that popped from the black background.

Matthew walked to a pastel-purple bed, took off his shoes, climbed under the covers of the soft bed, and promptly fell asleep.

0o0o0o0

The flying canoe nearly crashed because Missouri went into labor.

This was her first child, so of _course_ she would panic!

So panicked that she purposely rocked the canoe to one side which made her passengers tumble out, righted it up, ignored all the "Do it again"s from the passengers and kicked off using the oar and flew away.

A panicked blonde teen of age sixteen ran up to Alik. "General! General! Is Mattie here?"

"Hello Alfred, at least say 'hello' first." Alik replied. "Matthew is in the resting roo- stop right there!" He grabbed the teen's shirt collar just as said teen was about to run off. He dragged the boy back and turned him to face the man. Goodness, the boy's eye-level was nearly equal to his. The least Alfred could do is mature a _little_! "**Resting. Room**. _Keep_ your voice _low,_ there are others _sleeping_ in there. Remember that. Now go." He gave the teen a push and Alfred bolted up the stairs past other kids, slipped on the tile as he tried to turn, fell, caught himself before he would land face-first, and kicked off to run down the nursing hall, nearly missed the door to the Resting Room and quietly – ha, he remembered – went inside.

He quickly found Matthew's favorite bed and crawled under the covers and hugged the sleeping teen. Missouri had told Alfred that Matthew suffered through a large and deep cut to the chest and his parents were murdered, and that scared Alfred to no end.

They lost Ivan, but he won't lose Matthew.

He laid down and called out to Kumajiro. The polar bear appeared at the foot of the bed in his cub form.

"Will you please keep people from bothering us?"

"I can." Kumajiro replied and turned away.

Alfred then focused on Matthew and laid his head on the others' chest. He then began to murmur a healing chant. In less than a minute of repeating the chant a faint blue glow emerged from Alfred and surrounded Matthew's central body. The glow stayed even when Alfred himself fell asleep.

0o0o0o0

Dark and gloom; the walls were grey, the ceiling was dark, and the only light came from the moonlight that managed to peek through all the clouds and the windows.

"That young Kirkland brat ruined today's plans." A man sitting on a throne on an elevated floor said to the still woman kneeling before him. "You should have been able to capture the boy before his fairy did. Why did you disobey my orders?"

The woman replied immediately "Bonnefoy was nearby because the boy was chanting his song. If I did anything Bonnefoy would have caught me."

"With what? A thin rope and roses? Against your spear?" the man boomed. "HA! Don't make me laugh! You severed ties to your own brother and willingly gave yourself to me; the least you can do is _obey_ me, Jeanne."

There was a rustle next to the man. There were two uniformed handymen standing on either side of him and one was fidgeting.

The fidgety one was a boy barely on the verge of adulthood, and very tall for his age. His violet eyes were beginning to shine again and he was trying to lift his hidden sword.

Oh, that won't do, that won't do. The spell on him is expiring and now the boy wants to kill him.

The man lifted a hand and waved it at the boy. The man's magic forced the boy to double over; as if someone punched him in the gut. His breath was even knocked out of him.

The boy then quickly stood up straight and still; his eyes now a dark indigo.

The man did not notice the sea-green glare directed at him from his other handyman; who had been pretending to be under control for weeks and planned to kill the man when the opening came; and escape with everyone.

The man turned back to Jeanne. "Take Mr. Honda when Mr. Ouren is away. Bring him here; for an ancient magic I desire flows through him.

Jeanne lowered her head. "Understood."

"I have a different task for you to complete first. Both of my handymen need to be taught a lesson."

Shit.

At this, the second handyman let out a battle cry and speared his sword at the man's chest. But the blade stopped two inches from his clothes. The handyman struggled to push the blade further but all it did was make the blade shake.

"Berwald, Berwald, Berwald, there is a reason why I put that collar on you." The man sneered. "Your hypnotism resistance is extraordinary and you are difficult to break. But it is about time you give up on running away like an ungrateful brat and realize that only I accept you as you are."

"T's not true!" Berwald shouted.

"Has Tino come for you yet?"

Berwald faltered for a second, but then pushed again desperately.

The man sneered. "It has been two years since I took you under my wing; while you were grieving over the fact that he rejected you again."

"Stop!" The young man swung his sword up and down over the older man's head.

It stopped before it could even touch the man's hair and the man himself didn't even flinch.

The man pointed three fingers at Berwald in a clawed fashion. "Sleep until I tell you to wake." the man commanded. The collar produced a purple smokey magic that stuck to Berwald. The young man reached up to cover his mouth and nose bu the smoke made their way in and he passed out.

Berwald collapsed to the floor; his sword nearly hit his shoulder when it landed.

"Jeanne, take him to the torture room." The man's voice boomed.

The man glanced to one of the five entrances at the front of the large room. "Kai, take a trip to the Blue Palace tonight and bring me Williams. Either him or his necklace may suffice."

A shadow moved and a young man appeared; there was a collar around his neck that connected to a dragon as black as the night sky with white specks dotting its body. It stood behind the young man at the main entrance to the room.

The chains clinked and his dull green eyes closed as he bowed. "...Yes sir."

0o0o0o0

Critique and guesses requested~

*shakes computer screen* PLEASE! I'm LONELYYYYYYYYYYY!


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